Rain Rain Go Away....

Tropical storm Ida landed in Alabama and brought a lot of rain up here to central Alabama. Everyday on my way to and from work I pass over a bridge spanning a creek headed for the Cahaba River. The area under and around the bridge is a city park where the city hosts concerts, farmers markets, and free Friday flicks in the open amphitheater during the summer. All and all it is a popular place for everyone to come play and enjoy the scenery. My kids even don their swim suits and go for a swim sometimes. The whole are was flooded yesterday more than I have ever sen. Here are some pictures I took this morning on my way to work. For perspective I added some pictures from this summer to show some contrast. Look closely at the waterfall in the summer picture and you can see kids sitting and standing on it.

Summer pictures below of the same spot

Veteran's Day

(click to learn more about this book)

This book is great to share with children. I usually check it out of the library to read with my older children. This year I waited too late to get a copy. I need to just buy one. It tells the story of fallen soldiers and soldiers missing in action. It is a great tool to explain the meanings behind Veteran's and Memorial Day. Annika asked me the other day why they were going to be out of school on November 11th. I told her it was Veteran's Day. I explained to her what the day was all about. She asked if there were any veterans in our family. I reminded her about her great-grandfather Daniel, my mother's father. He was drafted at the end of World War II. The war ended before he was sent overseas and he came back home safely. I then reminded her that her mother, yes me, joined the Army.

I did not serve very long. I did not even finish my training but I was proud to wear a uniform. I was pregnant with Lyn when I left the Army. I would support any of my children in a decision to join the military. The pride would be immense. Let's hope that all children learn a little about the true meaning of the day and it consists of more than a day off of school and sales at all of the stores. To help start teaching the little kids about the day we worked on some simple patriotic art projects. In these times all of our service members need our support.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling Down the Hill

The weather was great today. It was perfect for hanging out in the backyard. The little kids had fun rolling down the hill, picking flowers, and playing with the soccer balls. Can't beat November in Alabama.

29 Weeks

Yesterday I made it to 29 weeks. This milestone has a lot more meaning during my pregnancies ever since Annika, my fourth child, was born at 28 weeks. It's all down hill now. Lyn asked me today riding in the car if any kids in our family were exactly on their due dates. I told her that it is very rare for any child to be born exactly on their due date naturally. Well, here is the run down. Danny was born 4 days after his due date. Lyn was born 9 days before her due date. Connor was born 3 days before his due date. Annika was born 12 weeks before her due date. Evan was born 11 days after his due date. And Eliot was born 4 days before her due date. Hopefully this little boy will stay put till around his due date. Share your delivery vs. due date times with me!!

A Day at Oak Mountain

It was such a pretty day today. It was warm and sunny. I have been meaning to take the kids to visit the petting farm at Oak Mountain State Park. We made it there today. Connor was sick and couldn't make it and Danny was at his dad's. We saw chickens, goats, sheep, peacocks, donkeys, horses, and chickens. Evan was brave and would pet some of the animals but Eliot was a bit stand offish. She enjoyed herself though. It was surprising to run into a little girl that I used to work with in early intervention. She is doing great and growing up. After visiting the farm we went up to the top of the mountain. Evan was sure he could see his house. The view was great. I wish we could have gone up there a few weeks ago before when the leaves were a bit brighter. None the less, we had fun and the scenery was beautiful.

Volleyball Season is Over

Second Place!!!

Lyn's team the RIPTIDE made it to the finals this season. They played the last game on a modified full court. It was a close call. They won the first set and the other team won the other two. Lyn is down front in the middle. Second place isn't that bad. The girls had fun and have made a lot of progress. Way to go RIPTIDE!

Silly Bandz

If you have an elementary school age child in your house you have probably found these all over your home.

I have only noticed them in passing at my house. I haven't bought my girls any but they do own some. They say their friends at school shared with the. My fifth grader seems to be more interested in them than my second grader. I have seen some boys with them but my third grader (he's a boy) hasn't shown much interest in them. On my way to work this morning NPR (national public radio) ran a story on them. Apparently the small company that makes them never thought they would be so popular and is drowning in back orders. In my area they sell out at stores as soon as they arrive. Who would have thought!! Oh, yeah didn't we go through this with Pokemon cards and beanie Babies? What's next?

Here is a link to a blog about the bracelets.

Silly Bandz

Here are some links for ordering bracelets.

Ordering Silly Bandz

Mama, what's for dinner?

I guess I can call it hamburger casserole.

What to make for dinner? That is a question I have to ask way too often. I had some ground beef sitting in the refrigerator that needed to be cooked. So, I made up this recipe. I was a little surprised it turned out OK. The kids ate it up. It needed more cheese on top but we were running low on cheese. I added fresh corn on the cob to the meal to round it out. I may try it again with some cream of mushroom soup. Here is my recipe.

One pound of ground beef

1/4 of a white onion

One cup fresh sliced mushrooms

One can diced potatoes (drained)

Salt and pepper to taste

Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup white rice

Cheese

While I was browning the beef in an electric skillet I added the onion, mushrooms, potatoes, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. I broke the mushrooms into fairly small pieces. They soak up the flavor of the beef really well. While this was cooking I heated the oven to 350 degrees and started the rice cooking. It is OK if the rice isn't fully cooked by the time the beef mixture is finished. Add the rice and beef mixture together in a baking dish and top with some cheese. I used Parmesan and American cheese this go around. I think shredded sharp cheddar would have worked better. I let it bake for about 20 minutes or until it was heated through and the cheese was all melted. It was fairly hearty. I did not use very lean beef. A little fat goes a long way to add flavor. Seasoned pork sausage could probably be substituted for the beef.

Tools of the Trade

What did I play with today?

As a special instructor with Alabama's Early Intervention system my role as a developmental specialist takes me wherever children under three years of age with developmental delays are. This can include their homes, daycares, local libraries, playgrounds, or grandma's house. Today I worked with a child at a Mother's Day Out program. My instruction looks a lot like play but there is a lot going on. I provide instruction across all domains. I provide cognitive, social / emotional, motor (fine and gross), adaptive (daily living skills) and communication support. Functional play does not come easily to all children. Some children handle toys but do not actually interact appropriately with them. We see this a lot with children who are globally delayed (are delayed in all areas of development). A common example of this is some children with ASD (autism spectrum disorder). They may show delays that cross all developmental domains. Play is a natural way to work with this age group. Child led naturalistic activities work well. I consider myself one the luckiest people in the world to be working with this group of children. Every state has an Early Intervention program. In Alabama we are lucky to have one that is free of charge for all services to eligible children. Some states charge for therapeutic services but their coordination services are free. Some states have a waiting list. Alabama does not. Each state is able to set their own eligibility criteria though. Here in Alabama a child has to have a delay in at least one developmental area equal to or greater than 25%. Or, if they have a qualifying diagnosis (Down syndrome, autism, hydrocephalus, etc) they automatically qualify for services. Some states have lower or higher qualifying criteria. There is a Child Find referral number in every state to start families on the road to early intervention. Here in Alabama it is 1-800-543-3098. I have a link on my side bar to Alabama's early intervention website. Everyone in the United States should have a local Child Find number to call. I haven't been able to locate a nation wide list but if you Google your state you should be able to find it. Some states combine services for children birth to age five while most separate services birth to age three with one organization and three years to 21 under the department of education. My job is a rewarding one that few people know exist. I only wish I could reach all the children that need services in my area.

Afternoon Fun

Making turkeys, dramatic play, and computer fun!

My husband took a whole day and cleaned up and organized the garage on Monday. We have a computer, couch, and table set up out there. My original goals was to have the space available for the kids to spread out and play. We actually took advantage of it today. In preparation for Thanksgiving I cut out a circle turkey for the little kids to put together. Annika joined in their fun. They then got into the masks and puppets. Lyn helped the little kids put their bug masks on as Annika put on a puppet show. Evan wrapped up play time by showing off on the computer. He has mastered a toddler game (Reader Rabbit). Eliot likes to watch but hasn't quite caught on to the mechanics of the game. Lyn and Annika then left for Lyn's second volleyball tournament game. The Riptide won again!!

November is Here

Mama, why do we have Thanksgiving?

When Annika and I were in the car after gymnastics by ourselves on the way to pick the little kids up from daycare she asked me a question. She asked, "Why do we have Thanksgiving?". Well, I was taken aback a little. Annika is in 2nd grade and 7 years old. I know she has learned each year about the history behind Thanksgiving since she was a toddler. I started to explain to her all about the pilgrims and the mayflower. By the time I was finished with my lengthy explanation of the original Thanksgiving story I was thinking that my child hasn't learned anything in her social studies classes over the years. Annika looked up and said, "Oh yeah, I learned that last year". So much for my one-on-one teachable moment.